


the right side of the fence

by poketa



Category: Glee
Genre: F/F, Meet-Cute, Pride Parades, tw homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:08:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24855112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poketa/pseuds/poketa
Summary: "What about you?""This is my first pride" Quinn admits quietly, sipping her drink again.
Relationships: Rachel Berry/Quinn Fabray
Comments: 10
Kudos: 164





	the right side of the fence

**Author's Note:**

> based off lys tweet cause she gave this great idea and i had to write it! 
> 
> tw: homophobia.

* * *

Quinn watches with distress as her father throws more signs with slogans such as _God hates gays_ and _you're going to HELL_ into the van.

She plays nervously with the pendant of a musical note hanging on her wristband as he checks the items, before slamming the car door closed and turning back to her with the same expression of always there. Cold, hard, distanced - he just walks inside the house again and she swallows, before moving to the side of the car and getting inside. 

She plugs her earphones to blast some loud music and distract herself from what will be an inevitable terrible first of June, because just like every year, the pride parade is happening in town and the church congregation is meeting downtown to boycott the event with a protest.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Before this summer, she would always find a reason to not attend the boycott with her parents, such as summer camp, cheerleading camp, summer jobs and even that one summer when she offered to visit her grandma.

However, there was already the perfect plan to avoid the event this year, when the sudden voice of her dad cut through the air, the night before the event, completely surprising her.

"You're coming with us"

Her hazel eyes snapped to look at him, ready to, ironically, _protest_ _,_ but his eyes were intense, cold, _searching_ and something settled acidic on her stomach as the man looked at her.

"But I got-" Quinn couldn't help but try, trying to not falter under his piercing gaze, but he raised his brow and she closed her mouth instantly.

"Quinn" 

Her father said with an air of authority that made her both fearful and angry, but she remained stoic as the man continued from the head of the table "I said" his hands fall onto the table, the cutlery shaking and the teenager swallows tightly "you're coming with us" he remarks slowly and the little blonde hairs on her arms stand as his tone rattles through the air of the house.

Her eyes pleadingly moved towards her mother, but the woman remained looking down at her dinner, her mouth set on a thin smile that looked painful to wear and Quinn looked back at her father, who lifted his brow like waiting for a rebuttal.

But Quinn saw the challenge that she could read in his eyes, the quirk of his lips, his expression and her heart told her to sit this down.

"Okay" 

Two years, that's all is left for her in this town, two years.

* * *

  
  


It was like an ocean of colour had swallowed the town when they got to the main street of the parade, so powerful, so colourful, painting the usually dull streets of Lima with an energy that made Quinn shiver a little as she gazed out of the window of the car.

 _"Disgusting"_

Her father loudly muttered from the front seat as he parked the car by the curb, opening and then closing the door behind himself as Quinn breathes deeply in and out, eyes closed, trying to get a hold of her erratic heart.

Then the sound of another door being opened and then closed reaches her ears as Quinn opens her eyes, trying to concentrate on the still playing music in her ears, when, suddenly, a tap on the window by her side of the car startles her.

"C'mon, get out"

Her father's eyes are squinting against the sun and she just nods, pausing her music, taking out her earphones, saving the cords and phone by the pocket of her dress.

The door is opened for her and she steps out of the car with a tight smile, moving her hands to flatten the fabric, even if the peach dress couldn't be more pristine.

Instantly, he trusts a sign onto her hands and then walks away with her mother trailing behind him with her own sign.

He has a megaphone tightly held in his hand and a sign on his other.

Quinn turns the sign trusted into her hands and with her heart in her throat, she reads the red angry block letters.

_Adam and Eve: not Adam and Steve._

Her eyes quickly snap towards the sea of people walking hand in hand with their flags and colourful outfits, her cheeks redden as she tries to turn it around and let it be blocked by her frame.

" _Quinn"_

She quickly moves her eyes towards her parents, there stands her father, dressed on his church clothes. Her mother is wearing one of her Stepford dresses that makes her actually look far more old than her forty two years.

They stand out like sore thumbs here.

"I'm coming" Quinn finds herself saying as she breathes deeply in and out and then follows them.

Her father turns fully around as she finally catches up with them, still keeping the sign hidden by her body, but he doesn't seem to notice and with silent words and stiff movements, he directs them towards a little crowd that stands out from the rest of the people.

They are wearing plain clothes and looking way too angry to be in a pride parade. They also have signs with biblical verses and many words that make her falter as she reads them over and over.

Every step hurts more than the one before as the words appear and angry screaming travels through the air towards her ears, then Quinn notices the metal fences and the police standing beside them and she just understands that the policemen standing there are to protect _them_ and not the other way around.

Finally, they reach the fences and the policeman opens the gates for them to stand with the rest of the congregation. 

The people behind it look like animals, just being grouped together in a cage and Quinn agrees with the idea as the man closes the gate after them and then turns around.

The second the gates are closed and the policeman gives their back to them, her dad starts yelling consigns with his megaphone as she stands still by the fence, her hands locked on the sign that she still can't find the strength to lift, but his eyes find her with a glare and shakily, Quinn finally raises it, facing the crowd of couples, families and just people, walking happily before her eyes.

She tries to stand emotionless there, just holding the sign, breathing, being there, but people walk by, frowning at their group, yelling things back, sending them glares and making Quinn almost imperceptibly shake.

When finally an older woman with a pink t-shirt and a dog in a rainbow leash walk by and just stop in front of them, making direct eye contact with her.

_"Fucking bigots"_

The woman mutters, just before lifting her other hand and throwing a fruit shake towards them, everything happening way too quick for her to do anything else, but blink.

Quinn can only stare as the policeman ushers the woman away to keep her walking with the rest of the people, her hands finally moving the sign down.

"Honey - are you alright?" 

The frantic voice of her mother reaches her ears, standing out from the different voices against the chaos, but she can only shake her head for a second as her mind absorbs what just happened.

"I'm gonna-" Her chest feels tight against her dress and she knows isn't the cold drink dripping down her face and clothes.

She taps the policeman's back and nods at the gates, the man quickly obliges.

"Where are you going, Quinnie?" 

But she can only drop the sign by her feet as she steps away from the group and starts to walk away, looking for an escape.

_"Quinn"_

His voice rings through the crowd and she stops walking just as a couple of elderly men walks by her side, eyeing her with interest.

"Where are you going?" 

She turns around, keeping the tears barely back as she faces her father and the rest of the group still screaming angry words at the people walking hand in hand.

"I'm gonna clean up, dad" Quinn replies, quickly moving to wipe away some splashes of the drink from her face, trying to make a point of grimacing at the action.

And he nods tightly, his gaze hard on her, but she just resumes her steps that she doesn't even know where they are taking her.

Her feet just move, move until she finds a block of transportable bathrooms and she can't hear the voice of her father with his megaphone or see the signs with the angry letters.

She sinks to the ground, sitting with her back to one of the blue bathrooms, her knees to her chest as the tears start to finally run down her cheeks and she can't find the strength to stop them from doing so.

Her chest heaves as pale shaking hands rub skin and sobs leave pink lips. 

Previously tamed blonde hair feels suffocating and she quickly moves her hands to free it from a braid, but it doesn't change a thing, the pressure still is there, making her cry even more as she rubs her eyes and sobs.

"Hey" 

Suddenly, the presence of someone hovering in front of her invades her senses and Quinn moves her hands to see colourful tights.

And she frowns.

"Are you alright? Couldn't help, but overheard you over here and be a little worried, no one should feel this _miserable_ during pride"

Hazel eyes move up from converse shoes with rainbows and up to tanned thighs covered in rainbow long socks that reach a mid-thigh and then there appears a black short skirt that makes her feel a little more than choked up.

Quinn shakes her head to herself as she stops checking the stranger out and her eyes finally find two brown orbs observing her with concern and interest.

The brunette girl staring back at her is completely gorgeous and Quinn misses being an animal in a cage for a second.

"Can you hear me?" The girl says loudly with a frown as she points to her ears with a tilt to her head.

Quinn just stares at her, but then nods as the words register.

"Good" The girl says, moving her hands to her hips and smiling again "One should never assume everyone is able-bodied" she continues with a matter-of-fact tone. 

"Alright" Quinn accepts, forgetting for a second what's happening as she just gazes at the girl, who is doing the same, but with a blinding smile.

Quinn stands from her position with her hands sending the tears drying on her cheeks away, but then the stickiness on her skin makes her grimace as she glances down at her clothes and remembers the drink.

"What's that -?" 

She looks up at the girl, who is curiously looking back at her, her expression a mix of concern, interest and _disgust._

"Someone spelt a drink on me" Quinn comments under her breath as she gazes down at her ruined clothes.

"Oh, thank _God"_

The blonde quirks her brows at her.

"For a second I thought it would be puke" The girl clarifies with a sheepish smile and Quinn snorts, trying to find a place to clean herself up around the area "You know" she turns to the brunette "I don't think I have seen you before at McKinley"

She shakes her head, crossing her arms over and moving to support her back on the post office window behind herself.

"Because I don't go there" Quinn informs with a quirk of her lips, she feels conflicted, but her heart has calmed down a little bit, her tears aren't no longer rolling down her cheeks and this girl looks adorable in rainbow socks "Boarding school in Philadelphia" she comments with a smile.

"Wow" The girl replies with a stunned expression that makes her look like a cute rabbit, but Quinn suppresses the smile and just sighs tiredly.

"Not that I'm not loving the small talk but do you know where I can clean myself up?" Quinn inquires with raised brows, gesturing to her body.

"Actually I do" The girl replies with a nod as Quinn tilts her head, watching how the brunette puts her hands on the black suspenders holding up her skirt, playing with them.

The action makes her curious about how it would feel to do the action herself, but Quinn sends that thought to the mental trash can as she follows the girl who starts to walk away.

"What's your name?" Quinn inquires with her arms around her midsection as she eyes the people walking by, but no one seems to be paying attention at her and she thinks maybe it's because she's no longer with a group of screaming religious bigots and their stupid signs.

She can blend by and the thought makes her almost smile.

"Rachel" The girl says as she turns to her with a enthusiastic smile as the blonde turns to her company with a inquisitive eyes "My name is Rachel Berry" 

_Berry_.

The last name sends an instant alarm to Quinn's mind as she nods with a tight expression, her heart hammering inside her body.

"Nice to meet you, Rachel" She replies tightly and the way the brunette stares at her makes her aware she has to reply with a name of her own, but it's not like people don't know who the _Fabray's_ are, but it's not like she doesn't got a real first name no one really uses for her either "Lucy" Quinn adds with a nod.

Rachel smiles brightly at her as she evades a group of people wearing matching cowboy hats and boots.

"Well, it's a pleasure to help a LGBT+ ally companion in a day like this, Lucy" The girl replies.

"Oh I'm not -" Quinn finds herself saying as she evades the group too and follows Rachel closely.

The girl looks at her strangely, her cheeks reddening for some reason.

"Sorry, it wasn't my intention to assume anything by" Rachel apologizes as Quinn finally sees a stand with bottled water, but also sinks, but the girl keeps talking and her cheeks almost matches the red on her stocking now "I just didn't want to assume you were part of the community simply because you were here with _us"_

They reach the stand and the blonde turns to Rachel to reply, but the girl is already busy talking to a boy with a sharp haircut and bright blue eyes that gives Quinn a quick once-over, before handing over a towel and some clothes to them.

"You can use the stall behind us to change" The boy says as he quirks his polished brows at her and Quinn nods, accepting the clothes.

"Thanks, Kurt" Rachel says with a tight smile to the boy, who shrugs, before going back to his phone.

There's a second boy sitting with him, a blond in a muscle shirt and a snapback, who sends a thumbs up at Rachel, who shakes her head at him, but Quinn just dismisses them, following the girl behind the tent to a more private area, where a transportable sink and a bathroom stand.

"I must apologize for his behaviour, Sam has been trying to find me a date all day" 

Her hands peruse the clothes given to her with critical eyes, but Quinn finds nothing but plain black yoga pants and a white t-shirt.

"And those are mine, you can borrow them, I must assure you how clean they are" Rachel continues as Quinn turns to look at her as the girl stands by a plastic chair beside the table.

"Why do you have a change of clothes?" She asks, before her mind can help it.

Quinn thinks about her own household with her homophobic parents and their religious beliefs, but Rachel is the daughter of two known homosexual men, she knows that the girl doesn't have to hide her current location to her parents, like other people do.

 _Maybe she needs to hide from other people_ , Quinn wonders.

"Just in case" Rachel complies with a shrug, putting a strand of brunette hair behind her ear as she speaks "You never know when you have to help a beautiful girl who's wearing a fruity smoothie on her dress" the girl says and the blush is still there, the words register and warmness feels Quinn as she realizes what's happening.

But she doesn't know what to reply and just gets inside the, surprisingly, clean portable bathroom, where her dress comes off to be replaced by clothes that smell like mango and lavender.

She closes her eyes as the smell of the clothes swipes over her, but then remembers where she is and grimaces, stepping out of the bathroom almost as quickly as she stepped in.

The brunette girl isn't immediately there when she walks out and Quinn uses the space to clean her face in front of the little mirror above the sink, even braiding her hair again.

Quinn gazes at herself over the little mirror and nods, satisfied of what she sees. She no longer looks like she just had a breakdown.

And as she walks front towards the stand, Quinn hears again Rachel's voice and sighs with relief that she surprises herself with having. But the mention of her own name makes her stop, perk up and hide behind the fabric of the tent to not be caught eavesdropping.

_"So, you don't need me to be your wingman, Rach"_

Sounds of someone munching on chips inevitably reaches her ears and she rolls her eyes.

_"So pretty, dude, am I right?"_

The sound of a high five makes Quinn raise her brows with interest.

_"Sam, believe me that I know how much she looks like an angel"_

Quinn bites her bottom lip as Rachel's reply reaches her ears, but before she can move to make her appearance, the voice of the boy who gave her the clothes joins the conversation.

_"She looks pretty, I'll give you that, but also pretty as in pretty straight to me"_

Quinn huffs lightly at the comment _. What an ass._

 _"Kurt, she literally said she isn't an ally, why would someone like her be here then_ " Rachel's voice replies quite defensive of her.

Tilting her head, Quinn thinks about a few reasons as she listens to them and a second tickles by.

" _Maybe she's one of those bible thumpers homophobes"_ The boy offers.

And she closes her eyes tightly as the correct, but also, wrong answer appears at the table.

 _"Yeah, no"_ Rachel's voice appears again and it makes her open her eyes with pain _"She isn't one of them, that's ridiculous"_

Quinn counts from five to zero, before clearing her throat and appearing at the door.

Instantly, Rachel looks back at her, visibly checking out her body and Quinn flushes as she holds her ruined dress in a ball, the attention from not only the girl, but the two boys feeling like too much for her.

"Do you have a plastic bag I could use for this?" She asks, lifting the ball of fabric up.

"I got one" Who she assumes is named Sam, replies lifting a bag tied into a knot to her, offering it with a grin.

"Thanks" Quinn replies with a small smile to the guy, quickly untying the plastic bag and fitting her dress inside "Uhm" she murmurs and looks at Rachel, who seems to be waiting for something.

She finds her voice then.

"I have to-" 

"Would you like to-"

And both of them laugh as they look at each other.

"You first" Rachel nods at her, biting her lip and nodding at her to talk.

Quinn thinks about her options: going home, going back to her parents or asking Rachel to hang out with her a little more, before going back to her own life.

And there's a line that she has already crossed by following a girl in rainbow socks, short skirt and a brilliant smile. 

The answer seems obvious to her.

"I was actually going to say that now I have to find a way to properly thank you" Quinn replies, quickly blushing as her own words ring through her head and sound way more flirtatious than she intended "Like, you know, ice cream" she fixes immediately.

But those tan cheeks look just as red as hers must look and, apparently, she isn't that slick.

 _"Damn"_ Sam comments under his breath from his seat, but it's definitely loud enough for Quinn to hear it, making her blush even more.

"That would be really nice of you, Lucy" Rachel replies with her pretty blush, her shy expression and her hands holding onto her suspenders "But I'm afraid to tell you I'm vegan and therefore, I don't eat dairy-"

"Oh" Quinn quickly accepts with a resigned grin.

"But I would happily accept any other kind of refreshment" The brunette quickly replies with a smile, shaking her head as if to say _wait til I finish._

"Alright, let's go then" Quinn says tilting her head to the street, but turning back to the table to say goodbye first "Thanks for the help, guys" she says, smiling more to Sam than towards Kurt, who still seems to be suspecting of her.

"You're welcome, Lucy" Sam replies with a nod and it sounds strange to be acknowledged by her real name, but also right in a way that hasn't felt like this in years "Don't drop more drinks on yourself" he teases, but he is smiling and there's something right about this guy.

"I'll try" Quinn replies with a short nod.

Kurt doesn't say anything to her and Quinn just offers a nod, before moving back to the street with Rachel, who follows her with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry about Kurt, he's…" the girl explains with a vague hand movement.

"A judgmental little twink?" Quinn asks with a raise of her brow as she eyes the people walking by, all of them look happy and there's something right about being on this side of the fence.

And the way that Rachel laughs makes it worth it.

"Yeah, something like that" The brunette comments with an expression of joy as she eyes the people walking by too.

"I must assume they are your friends" Quinn comments trying to localize a stand with drinks or something without dairy for them to enjoy.

"Yeah, we all go to school together" Rachel comments with a shy nod, putting her hands around her suspenders again, Quinn has know realized it's an action to keep her hands from fidgeting and it's cute "Kurt and me go way back together, Sam is new here, but he's a great guy" 

"He seems like it" Quinn comments as her eyes catch a stand selling lemonade and she tilts her head to Rachel, who nods with a grin.

They walk over there in silence, the only sound, the music from a near stand blasting Gloria Traynor, but it's not uncomfortable, it's fitting to the atmosphere and Quinn finds herself moving her head quietly to the beat.

"Lucy" 

Quinn takes a second to register it's her name being called, but finally she turns towards the source with a quirked brow.

"Are you attending pride with anyone?" The girl in the colourful socks asks, but then opens her mouth, shaking her head, like she just realized something "Sorry I just keep asking stuff and-"

"You must stop apologizing for everything" The blonde corrects with a quirk of her lips as they finally reach the stand. The line isn't long and the sun doesn't reach their heads under the tent of the stand "And yes, I'm here with someone, but they are...busy with their own stuff" she dismisses shortly.

They must be yelling slurs, incorrectly translated biblical verses and offensive phrases to every walking person on this parade.

But Rachel doesn't need to know that, at least, not yet.

"Oh I see" Rachel replies eyeing the stand with critical eyes, she seems to be looking for the ingredients of the drink, but it seems like water, lemons and stevia are the only components and she turns with a victorious grin to Quinn.

She doesn't say more than that and they fall into a comfortable silence waiting in line.

There they get two pink lemonades that the woman behind the counter assures don't have an ounce of animal product, it endears Quinn to listen as Rachel questions about colorants and products, even if the woman seems to be a little annoyed by her.

They walk to a bench by the stand, where both sit with their drinks and a solemn silence that is only broken by little comments of the outfits and little animals walking by the street in rainbow fits.

"Do you come every year?" Quinn asks quietly, sipping her drink, grazing the carton cup with her fingers.

"I do" Rachel replies with a small grin, she's taking a picture of the people walking by and the blonde appreciates the way that the sun shines on the girl's skin as she turns to her, lowering her phone "You know, I have two fathers" she confesses, it may be unnecessary, because Quinn already knows, but she doesn't say it, just nods at the brunette to continue "I pretty much grew up within the LGBT community and I wouldn't be the person I am today without them" 

An older couple of black women wearing matching overalls walk by and they both stare with smiles as they go, holding onto each other with so much love that it feels magnetic to just look at them.

"What about you?" 

"This is my first pride" Quinn admits quietly, sipping her drink again.

"Oh" Rachel comments back with a grin, looking back at her, eyes shining with something beautiful that makes Quinn follow with her eyes glued onto the beautiful girl before her " _Oh_ \- How has been so far? Like I hope it has lived to your expectations"

Quinn shakes her head, her eyes not moving away from the girl on the colourful socks, black suspenders and beautiful smile "It has been better than whatever my mind could come up with" She replies sharing a small grin with the girl and the way her cheeks stretch and then tint with red, her heart stretches another size just staring at her.

Bold fingers touch the knuckles of her left hand and Quinn looks at the action with a surprised, but not unwelcome smile, turning her hand around and watching as the tan fingers slide down until the two hands are nestled into a warm embrace.

Her heart beats inside her ribcage and it feels like she's both losing and winning a race.

Finally, Quinn looks back at the girl to catch her expression, but instead of watching the hands like her, Rachel's beautiful brown eyes seem to be watching her expression intently.

"I'm glad" The girl replies softly.

The blonde anxiously moves her eyes up to catch if anyone is watching them, but everyone is pretty much minding their own business and it dawns on her that absolutely no one will judge her here for holding a girl's hand.

But she wants to do so much more than just that.

Quinn turns back to Rachel with the intent to act on it, but before the words can make it out of her mouth, there are gentle lips on her own, gently pressing against them and her eyelids close as the sensation of the kiss washes over her, it's the most beautiful feeling and the blonde can't help, but lean closer as her other hand leaves the carton cup and raises to touch the tan cheek that isn't caressing her own.

"Rachel" 

She whispers once they part and their foreheads kiss instead.

The warm brown depths are hidden, but Quinn keeps looking for them as her eyes tear up again. 

This time isn't sadness, isn't a burden, it's beautiful and they fall like the first rain after a year without it.

It's refreshing.

"Open your eyes, Rachel" She pleads softly, caressing the cheek with her hand "Please" 

"Not yet" The girl replies and the way her voice is lowered, like she's afraid of disrupting the moment, makes Quinn feel like her heart grows another size bigger "Because now is the moment when you say that there is someone else waiting for you over Philadelphia or that you don't like me, at least, not like I do" Rachel explains in a quick murmur that aches her heart for the wrong reasons.

But the sensation is still present and the blonde steps for them this time.

"Actually" Quinn says as her fingers graze the girl's nose with her finger, it's beautiful, unique and she can't help, but caress it a second longer as her mind understands something that has been lingering in her mind for the last hour or so, she sighs deeply in and out, before saying "I wanted to ask you if you know any LGBT shelters in Lima" 

Finally, Rachel opens her eyes and the look that the blonde receives could've made her shout angrily at the brunette, a few years ago, but they have just kissed and there's something gentle about the way that the hand holding her own tightens.

"Yeah" The girl replies softly, searching her eyes, but not asking beyond that "I know one" 

The blonde nods and the knot on her throat both tightens and losses a little as she faces the people walking by again, her tears keep falling, but she doesn't make a movement to stop them.

Rachel doesn't either.

The colours on people's clothes seem a little bit brighter then, the crowd a little more loud, her heart goes a little more fast, but it feels a little bit easier to breath now.

Her phone vibrates in her pocket, but she just moves her hand away from Rachel's to switch it off and then back to grip the tan hand.

Rachel doesn't ask more things and Quinn appreciates the little window of peace for now as their heads nestle against the other, watching the people walking by in silence.

This moment forever stitched as the first one towards a very different life.

* * *

  
  


_A year later…_

_"Quinn, c'mon! We are gonna be late"_

The knuckles tapping against the door are annoying, but the pink haired girl just huffs, shaking her hair to get it in the way she wants as she ignores the voice from the other side of the door.

_"Your girlfriend is already there, hurry up, you crazy lesbian"_

She puts her cap on backwards and then grin at her reflection, before taking her red flannel and tying it around her hips, just above the seam of her black cut-off jean shorts. Quinn then takes her lesbian flag, tying it around her shoulders, before exiting the bathroom.

"Finally" Sam exclaims with his hands up as he pushes her shoulder and she flips him off.

"Piss off, Samuel" Quinn remarks, starting to descend the stairs towards the front door.

"Quinn!"

Sam's little sister calls from the bottom of the stairs with an excited grin, she has on her tutu, fairy wings, a colourful t-shirt and sneakers.

"Stacy" The older girl replies with a grin, nodding at the choice of clothes with hee hands on her hips "You look awesome" 

"You too" The girl agrees eagerly, pointing at the flag "I like your cape" 

"Thanks" Quinn replies as she begins to walk off the house with Sam and the little girl, who begged to come with them to the event.

(It took a few words from Quinn and Sam to convince his parents, but finally they decided to approve it as long as they promised to take care of the girl and not let her be alone around men wearing leather. Sam scoffed and Quinn nodded solemnly at them.

Stacy was almost like her sister now and she would take care of her like that.)

The drive towards the main street is short and mostly spent singing to pop songs that Stacy would pick from Quinn's Spotify account.

"Look, there she is!" Stacy exclaims, pointing to the crowd with an excited voice.

And Quinn looks and it's like the sea of people part as she catches her girlfriend sitting by their bench wearing her long colourful socks and her suspenders again.

"Rachel looks beautiful" The little girl murmurs by her ear as Sam parks his mother's car and they begin to climb down.

"She does" Quinn confirms.

As they step out of the car, they are instantly embraced by the songs, the colours and the energy from the parade and Quinn bites her lip as the memory of the year before bites the ends of her mind.

"Rachel" She calls with her hand cupped around her mouth, her other holding Stacy's hand tightly.

The brunette girl turns towards them with her biggest grin as she instantly stands from the spot and runs towards them.

They are almost by the middle of the street when Stacy drops her hand and nods at her to go with Rachel alone and Quinn accepts with a grateful smile, jogging the rest of the distance until she finds her girl.

"Quinn" Rachel calls with a smile.

And they kiss on the middle of the street on a warm embrace and it feels just like the year before.

It's warm, it's gentle, it's everything and even more as Quinn's hand take the suspenders and Rachel's hands take her cheeks.

"I missed you" 

"We saw each other yesterday" Quinn comments with a snort as she caresses the girl's cheek with her hand, their eyes latched onto each other.

"Exactly" 

They take hold of the other's hand and quickly start to walk with the rest of the people down the street.

Quinn turns around to offer her free hand to Stacy, who drags a diligent Sam with her, until the little girl has the four of them in a row walking hand in hand, like the family they are.

It feels amazing to be surrounded by this circle of love. Beyond that, it feels right to be with them like this.

And as they walk by the church congregation behind the metal fences, Quinn notices with a grin her father standing there alone without her mother by his side, looking furious as he spots her.

Quinn points at a puppy with a tutu for Stacy to look at as she quickly turns around and flips off the man and their entire group with the biggest shit eating grin she can muster.

And a few meters away Rachel reprimands her, but the little grin playing at the corner of her lips says enough.

After all, this year Quinn's on the right side of the fence.

_The end._

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> hope you liked it!


End file.
